Combined rail brace and splice.



W. M. PALMER.

COMBINED RAIL BRAOE AND SPLICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21,1913.

1 ,O82,042, Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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Qtbomwg WILLIAM M. PALMER, 0F TAFT, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED RAIL BRACE AND SPLICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23,1913.

Application filed May 21, 1913. Serial No. 769,062.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, VVlLLIAM M. PAL- MER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Taft, in the county of Kern and State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Combined Rail Braces andSplices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a combined rail brace and splice forsecuring the ends of broken rails, and resides in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the followingspecification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation, parts being broken awayand parts being shown in section of my improvement showing the samepositioned upon a tie and connected with rails, Fig. 2 is a sectionalview on the line 22 of Fi 1, Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of themembers employed for securing the meeting ends of two rails or forconnecting a broken rail, and Fig. 4 is a similar View of the rail braceend of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the tie is designated by thenumeral 1 and the rails are designated by the numerals 2. The tie hasits upper face, at a suitable distance from its ends formed withrectangular depressions 3, the lower horizontal walls of the sameadjacent the inner vertical walls being formed with transverse passages4, or if desired, a plurality of bolt head receiving sockets may beemployed in lieu of the said passages. Two rails are illustrated uponthe left hand side of the drawing in Figs. 1 and 2. The showing mayillustrate a broken rail, or two rails which are adapted to be connectedtogether. It may here be stated, however that the device on this side ofthe structure is primarily intended for mending broken rails. The railsupon each end of the tie are adapted to be re ceived over the portionsof the tie provided with the depressions 3, and the said deprcssions arefully closed by substantially rectangular base members 5 and 6respectively of chair members 7 and 8, and the rails 2 rest upon thebase portions of the said members. The depressions 3 as well as the baseportions 5 and 6 of the members 7 andS are of a greater length than isthe width of the base flanges of the rails, and the chair members eachhave their outer portions provided with angular flanges 9 which overhangthe base and snugly engage with the outer and upper portions of the baseflanges of the rails, while integrally formed with the portions 9 arevertically extending plates 10 which contact with the outer side of theweb of the rail. The chair 8 is of a lesser width than the chair 7, thesaid chair 7 being of a width corresponding with that of or exceedingthe width of the tie 1, and the base members f and (3 of each of thechairs are provided with a plurality of openings 11 which are disposeddirectly above the passages or bolt head receiving openings 1:. Passingthrough the openings 11 are bolts 12, the heads of the said bolts beingprevented from turning by the opposite walls of the passages t, and thethreaded shanks of the bolts project a suitable distance above the baseof the base flanges 5 and (3.

The clamp for the brace member or chair 8 is designated by the numeral13, and comprises a flat body portion 1 1 which is adapted to overliethe portion of the base G be yond the inner edge of the rail base. Thebody 14 has integrally formed therewith an angular flange 15 which isadapted to conform to the shape of and engage with the base flange uponthe inner face of the rail, and also integrally formed with the flange15 is a vertically disposed plate 16 which abuts with the inner face ofthe web of the rail 2. The body 1 1- is provided with a plurality ofelongated openings through which the shanks of the bolts 12 project, andthe said projecting ends of the bolts receive securing nuts 17. The body14; is centrally provided with a threaded opening 18, the threads ofwhich being adapted to co-act with the threads upon a connecting rod 19.The rod 19 has its free end threaded, but the said threads are arrangedat a reverse pitch to the threads engaged within the opening of themember 13.

The numeral 20 designates a turnbuckle which has its bore provided withright and left hand threads, and which engage with the threaded ends ofthe rods 19 and 31..

The clamping member for the chair 7 is designated by the numeral 21, thesame comprising a body 22 haying an angular rail engaging flange 23 anda vertical extension 24. The flange 23 overlies the inner base flangesof the rails upon this end of the tics, and the vertical extension 24 isdis posed adjacent the webs of said rails. The

vertical member is provided with a plurality of threaded openings 25which are adapted to receive adjusting screws 26, the said screws beingforced against the inner faces of the webs of the broken rail sustainingthe said ends in proper registratiomand force the opposite sides of therails against a vertical web engaging plate 27 and a web engaging flange28 provided upon the outer portion of the base 5 of the chair 7. Thebase 5 is provided with a plurality of openings which are disposed overthe passage 4: of the tie, and passing through said openings are theshanks of bolts 29, the heads of the bolts being retained within thepassages 4 and contacting with the opposite walls there of. The body ofthe member 22 is provided wit-h elongated openings through which theshanks of the bolts 29 pass, and the projecting ends of said bolts havesecuring nuts 30. The body 22 is centrally provided with a threadedorifice for the reception of one of the connecting ends of a connectingrod 31, the second end of the rod having its threads pitched at anopposite angle to those received within the threaded opening of the body22 for engaging within the threaded bore of the turnbuckle 20.

From the above description, it will be noted that when the nuts 17 and30 are loosened and the turnbuckle 20 revolved, the members 13 and 22may be forced either toward or away from the rails 2, and by screwingthe nuts home upon the bolts, the said members may be retained in anadjusted position. Further, the member 22 being provided with theregulating bolts 26 effectively secure the broken ends of the rails 2without the necessity of employing fish plates or providing the webs ofthe broken rails with the usual bolt receiving openings.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination, a tie, chairmembers having rail engaging ends seated upon the tie, and the saidchairs adapted to receive the rails, brace members having rail engagingpor tions adjustably connected with the chairs, and means arrangedbetween the said brace members for forcing the same toward or out ofcontact with the rails, and means for locking the brace members upon thechairs in adjusted position.

2. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination, a tie havingelongated depressions, chair members having rectanguing portionsthereof, brace members arranged upon the base portions of the chairs atthe inner side of the rail, one of said brace members having adjustable.elements adapted to be brought into contact with the webs of the rails,means for longitudinally adjusting the brace members upon the chairmembers, and means for securing the brace members upon the chairmembers.

3. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination, a tie havingits upper face adjacent its end formed with an elongated depression, theupper face of which adjacent its inner wall having a transverse passage,chair members adapted to be seated within the depressions, each of saidmembers having its base formed upon its outer edge with an overhanging.rail base engaging member and an extending plate adapted to engage withthe outer side of the web of the rail, the base of each of the chairshaving openings which are disposed above the transverse passage of thetie, brace members, each of said brace members comprising a fiat bodyhaving an angular flange extension which is adapted to overlie the baseof the rails upon the inner faces of the rails, and being furtherprovided with vertical plates disposed at the inner sides of the webs ofthe rails, said plates having threaded openings, threaded members forthe openings, the bodies of each of the braces adapted to overlie theends of the base members of the clamps not engaged by the rails, thesaid bodies having elongated slots, bolt members having their headsreceived within the passages of the ties and contacted by the side wallsthereof, said bolts having their shanks projecting through the openingsin the base members of the chairs and the bodies of the brace members,nuts for the bolts, the bodies having threaded depressions, a threadedrod for each of the said depressions, rods having their free endsoppositely threaded, and a turnbuckle for the said ends.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. PALMER. lVitnesses S. URLOFF, F. C. MACOMBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

